food therapy

​Let Your Food Be Your Medicine More often today, we let food be our toxin. To say that we are to eat what the body was designed to eat is not so much as a suggested therapy as a reminder. Toxicity from our modern “food” comes not only with the unnatural additives of processed food, but also with the chemicals of industrial agriculture. Rather than talk about all of the evil things we have done to food, let’s look at how we can use food as healing therapies – veggies and fruits, healthy fats and protein, fiber, friendly flora, and gluten-free therapies.​ Fresh vegetables and fruits – A cornerstone of effective diets for a healthy life is the vegetables and fruits section, particularly those that are relatively lower in net carbohydrates (carbs minus fiber). Fresh vegetables and fruits have a lot of antioxidant power, and this helps to reduce inflammation. Vegetables and fruits are our best sources of most vitamins and minerals, and they are excellent cleansers. Antioxidants and many other benefits are lost if the food is not eaten within a few days of ripeness on the vine. Since most grocery farm foods have traveled for a week or two before they hit your grocery cart, they were probably picked before reaching full ripeness and maximum nutritional value. Emphasis is on the colorful produce – the greens and yellows and oranges and reds and purples– and less on the white starchy and sugary items. Beans (those high in lectins) and grains are problematic for most people and best avoided, or at least minimized. Our dependence on bread has limited our intake of better quality foods while adding to our inflammation. A variety of fresh produce is more beneficial to the body, as well as providing an array of extraordinarily good tasting dishes. These points illustrate how important the local farmers’ market can be for our well-being. Supporting local growers – even growing our own – provides far greater benefits than commercial produce from distant (or even close) factory farms. The 5-7 servings per day will seem too few when we get used to real food again.

Healthy fats and proteinare the building blocks of the body. The body is primarily fat and protein, so it makes perfect sense that our foods include these vital elements. These are the construction materials while veggies and fruits keep the structure clean, young looking, and in good condition. Adequate high quality protein, not an unlimited amount, but perhaps 50-80 grams for most people (up to .5 grams of lean body weight per day), includes all of the amino acids. Fats should be the largest portion of our calories intake (compared to net carbs – carbohydrates minus fiber - and protein), but they need to be high quality saturated (e.g. coconut oil, butter, organic animal) and monounsaturated (olive oil, avocado) fats. Except for the omega fats, avoid polyunsaturated fats (corn oil, vegetable oil) since they easily go rancid (oxidize) both on the shelf and in the body.

Fiber comes with the veggies and fruits – unless it has been processed out of the finished product. This is one of the reasons that whole food is an important aspect of diet. Fiber is not only a cleanser of the intestines but also is a food source of our gut bacteria. Fiber is recommended for reducing cholesterol, and is also good protection against colon cancer, diverticulitis, and hemorrhoids. In addition to fiber, water and magnesium are important for peristalsis, the muscles moving material through the colon.

Friendly flora, the good bacteria in the gut, are vital to gut health, and thus to our overall health. When bad bacteria dominate in the gut, our root system – the villi along the intestinal walls – lose the ability to absorb nutrients and move them into the blood stream. Overall health diminishes. Antibiotics (”against life”) wipe out good and bad bacteria in the gut. Unless we have a diet containing good bacteria, or probiotics (“for life”) – non-commercial yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, miso, etc. – bad bacteria will quickly establish themselves. These suppress the immune system and allow invasive bacteria, viruses, yeasts, etc. to invade the body. Low fiber, high carbohydrate diets destroy the friendly bacteria. Stress and the resulting poor digestion also undermine healthy gut flora. Regular consumption of foods with healthy bacteria (and no sugar) or a pbobiotic supplement keeps the system in good shape.

Gluten-free as a lifestyle has to be mentioned simply because so many people experience a higher quality of life after eliminating gluten. For the true celiac, the removal of gluten has to be total. For the rest of us, the incidental spec of gluten is not an issue. Gluten is hard to digest. It is more prevalent in modern wheat than in ancient wheat because of cross breeding and accelerated methods of harvesting. No longer does the grain dry on the stalks in the field before it is turned into flour. Time is money and this ancient practice has disappeared. Yes, we are addicted to bread, and to grain, in general. Toast or biscuit, sandwich or bun, and roll or other form of bread fill our day and our stomachs with gluten. “Gluten,” (or glutin) is the Latin word for “glue,” and this is how our digestive system sees it. Almond flour, coconut flour, and other non-starch flours provide excellent alternatives. These all lack the “glue” that made a pretty loaf of bread, so we must add eggs or another binder. The better workings of the digestive system and improved overall health of the body make the switch well worthwhile.

There are many other diet therapies, from increasing our water intake to 4-6 glasses to going organic, thus eliminating a lot of toxicity while increasing nutrition. Many of these therapies come down to the particular situation for the individual. While there are general truths about health, there are specifics unique to specific individuals. Here we each must rely on the wisdom of the body to tell us what is right and what is not.​ Next article